Machine for



(No Model.) A 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. I. ABENDROTH 8: G. SIOKELS.

MAGHINE FOR APPLYING POSTAGE STAMPS T0 MAIL MATTER. No. 597,093. Patented Jam-11,1898.

i kea ATTORNEY (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. I. ABENDROTH & G. SIOKELS.

MACHINE FOB APPLYING POSTAGE STAMPS T0 MAIL MATTER. N 5 97.0 93.

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WITNESSES: 1 522;? mvmoas m ATTORNEY is a front view of the machine.

UNITED STATES PATENT Erich.

GEORGE IRVING ABENDROTH, OF NEW YORK, AND GERARD SIOKELS,

' OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING POSTAGE-STAMPS TO lVlAlL-=MATTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,093, dated January 11, 1898.

Application filed January 27,1897. Serial No. 620,960. (lie model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE IRVING ABE-ND- ROTH, of New York, in the county of New York, and GERARD SICKELS, of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Applying Postage-Stamps to Mail- Matter, of which the following is a specification.

lVe will describe a machine embodying our improvement, and then point out the novel features in claims.

In. the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a machine embodying our improvement with the parts in their normal positions. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section with the parts in abnormal positions. Fig. 3 Fig. 4, is a top View with a certain part removed.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all figures.

A designates a platform upon which a strip of postage stamps is arranged. It may advantageously be made of metal. It may be supported in any suitable manner as, for instance, by means of lugs a. It is intended to be partly or wholly located over a receptacle forcontainingliquid. Preferablyitwillforin the top of a liquid-tank B, which we have shown as made of rectangular form and of sheet metal with one corner portion 1) depressed. This tank may be set into a table 0 of Wood or other suitable material. Mail matter to be stamped will be fed over this table and over the depressed corner portion b of the tank, as will be more clearly explained presently.

On the platform A are guiding ribs or rails o for the strip of stamps, and near the forward end of the platform there is a depressed portion a which is intended to be coincident with the depressed corner portion 2) of the tank B, so that mail-matter may be fed upon it to be stamped. Just in rear of this depressed portion there are slots o in the platform, which are here made by arranging a number of rods so as to be parallel to each other and leave spaces between them. It is intended that while the stamps are upon this slotted portion of the platform a moistening device shall rise from the liquid receptacle and moisten them.

WVe have shown a moistening device I), made in the form of a lever fulcrumed to a rod E by means of two bifurcated arms d. This rod is supported by lugs extending from the platform A. It will be seen that this lever at its forward end has a number of ribs which are of such a size that they may pass between the rods a, forming the slotted part of the platform A.

F designates a feed consisting, as here shown, of a slide fitted somewhat loosely in slideways beneath the platform A and capable of reciprocating forward and back. At or near its forward end it is provided with teeth that Work between the rods a, forming the slotted portion of the platform A. This slide is reciprocated by means of toggle-levers G G the toggle-lever G being pivoted to the forward portion of the platform and the toggle-lever G being pivotally connected to the slide F and the two toggle-levers being pivotally connected together. A spring H, fastened to the platform and to the togglelever G, pulls the toggle-levers upwardly and hence causes a forward movement of the slide F. This forward movement is limited by a suitable stop as, for instance, by a pin f, extending downwardly from the platform A and working in a slot formedlongitndinally in the slide.

The lever D comprised in the moistening device has its upper sides suitably moved in a longitudinal direction to enable it to operate with a cam-like action upon the joined ends of the toggle-levers G G When the moistening device rises, it produces a rearward movement of the slide F. Owing to the slight looseness of the slideF in its slideways it is capable of a slight canting action, and hence when it is drawn back its teeth will be depressed and when it starts forward its teeth will be raised relatively to the rods a forming the slotted portion of the platform A.

I designates a presser, and it is shown as made in the form of a lever having a bifurcated rear end which is fulcrumed to the rod E. The arms of this lever are provided with lugs d, that bear upon the upper ends of the lever comprised'in the moistening device D, the meeting surfaces of these parts being angular, so that when the presser-lever is raised the moistening-devicelever will also be raised and that both levers will be lowered together. There is a considerable amount of play be tween the lugs i of the presser-lever I and the upper ends of the lever of the moistening device. At the forward end the presser-lever hasa presser-piece i, which is adapted to descend upon the depressed portion of the p1atform A forward of the slotted portion.

I J designates a retaining device consisting of a piece of sheet metal adapted to fit in notches in the ribs or rails a and weighted at the forward end so that it will press with considerable force upon the slotted portion of the platform A.

A strip of stamps is intended to be fed over the platform between the ribs or rails a The teeth of the slide F feed the strip along, and the retaining device J holds the strip upon the slotted portion of the platform A. Mail-matter having been moved onto the depressed portion of the platform will be in proper position to receive a stamp on the corner. Thestamp will be fed over it by the slide and forced down upon it by the presser,

and the presser will also tear the stamp from the. remaining strip. Owing to the lost motion between the ends of the lugs t' of the presser-lever I and the upper ends of the moistening-device lever there will be no feed during the tearing off of the stamp and its application to the mail-matter, for the moistening-device lever will be arrested in its downward movement by coming in contact with the bottom of the tank, without, however, precluding further movement of the presser-lever.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a platform over which stamps may be fed, having a slotted or open portion, of a moistening device, means for raising and lowering it through the slotted portion of the platform, and a yielding retaining-piece above the slotted portion of the platform, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a platform over which stamps may be fed, having a slotted or open portion, of a moistening device, means for raising and lowering it through the slotted portion of the platform, and a retaining-piece above the slotted portion of the platform, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a platform having a portion over which stamps may be fed, a depressed portion over which mail-matter may be moved, a slotted or open portion raised relatively to the portion over which the mail-matter is moved, and a moistener beneath the slotted portion of an oscillating presser-piece arranged over the depressed or 0 en ortion, of a moistenin device for rising into the slotted or ope n'portion', and an oscillating presser device connected with the moistening device, construction of the moistening and presser devices being such that during a portion of their operation they work in unison and during another portion one.

works independently of the other, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with a platform over which stamps may be fed and having a slotted or open portion, of a moistening device for rising into the slotted or open portion, and a feed device operated by said moistening device,'substantially as specified.

7. The combination with a platform over which stamps may be fed, of a moistening device comprising a lever or arm, a feed, and toggle-levers for operating the feed, said toggle-levers being operated by the lever or arm of the moistenin g device, substantially as specified.

S. The combination with a platform over which stamps may be fed, of a moistening device comprising a lever, and a pressing device comprising another lever, the said two levers having surfaces which contact to transmit motion from one to the other whereby one lever is raised and lowered by the other, and these surfaces being arranged so as to provide for lost motion, substantially as speoified.

9. The combination with a platform over which stamps may be fed and having a slotted or open portion, of a moistening device for rising through the slotted portion of the platform, a presser device arranged above the platform, connections between the presser device and moistening device whereby the latter is operated by the former, and a feed device operated by the movements of the moistenin g device, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE IRVING ABENDROllI. GERARD SIOKELS.

lVitnesses:

ANTHONY GREF, W. LAIRD GOLDSBOROUGH. 

